Lok Sabha Election 2014: Around 50 per cent cast vote in west UP

Lucknow, April 10: Brisk polling was on Thursday witnessed in politically sensitive Western Uttar Pradesh as 50.97 per cent voters cast their votes till 3 pm.

According to EC sources, Saharanpur witnessed 56.40 per cent polling in the first four hours, while 56.68 per cent voting was reported from Kairana, and 54.98 electorates exercised there franchise in Muzaffarnagar till 3 pm.

In these 10 constituencies spread in 11 districts, the vote percentage in 2009 polls was 51.30 per cent while in 2012 assembly polls the percentage was 61.78 per cent.

The electoral fortunes of 146 candidates will be sealed in the EVMs today in the 10 Lok Sabha seats, where a total of 1.74 crore voters -- 95.96 lakh men and 78.37 lakh women -- are eligible to exercise their franchise.

According to EC sources, Saharanpur witnessed 28.8 per cent polling in the first four hours while 30.20 per cent polling was reported in Kairana, and 30.99 per cent polling in Muzaffarnagar.

Similarly, Bijnor had 26.33 per cent polling, Meerut 28.60 per cent, Baghpat 22.10 per cent, Ghaziabad 22.74 per cent, Gautam Buddha Nagar 22.90 per cent, Bulandshahr 19.50 per cent and 21.10 per cent votes have been cast in Aligarh.

Long queues of voters formed at polling stations in all places including Muzaffarnagar, which has remained tense ever since communal riots last year left over 60 people dead.

Election Commission officials said that polling was most intense in Bijnore where former actress Jaya Prada is the Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate.

Voting percentage in Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), the bustling suburb adjoining New Delhi, was over 11 percent in just two hours after polling began in the state at 7 a.m.

Saharanpur reported 13 percent voting in just two hours.

Polling was also heavy in Ghaziabad where BJP candidate and former army chief General VK Singh is pitted against Raj Babbar (Congress) and Shazia Ilmi (AAP).